I understand that not every 8-year-old knows exactly what a glute ham is or how to perform the movement. Few adults know. What I do know is that the fitness lifestyle and an all around worship of strength comes from the same place that kids should get all of their other values—mom and dad. The way I figure it, every garage inventory should read:

Youth sports are also playing a huge role in developing kids into useful humans. If this article has a point (I think it does…maybe…it is a bit of a ramble), then that’s what it is. I know for a fact that my kids have the best mom that they possibly could. My Elise has already produced three champions and is now working on two more. If one can reach Elite status in motherhood, she’s there. I’m pretty good at the gym stuff…

My two rug rats have always been around the gym lifestyle. They practically grew up at Total Performance Sports (www.totalperformancesports.com) in Everett, Massachusetts before I moved to Florida. I remember taking them to Elite seminars and having to calm Hannah because she was afraid of what she called the “bad guy” music pounding from the speakers during Sunday’s lifting session. I also remember her laughing when she finger locked Murph. She even got into a bit on CNN.

Those were the good old days. Now they are turning into athletes in their own sports and are fully aware that 300-lb bald, tattooed, goateed guys are perfectly harmless (as long as daddy knows them).

Bobby happens to be the smallest kid in the third grade. He openly states that he doesn’t mind because he is the strongest. Lynsey, my heroic 11-year-old, has two favorite shirts. Both say Strong(er)™ on them. They worship strength.

With the modern American diet, video games, computers, and a dual genetic predisposition to obesity, how come my kids are not overweight? I’d like to say the simple answer is that I won’t let them. At this stage in their lives, however, I think the answer lies more with them. They begged me for the workout in which I took all of these pictures. I wanted to take a chalk free night off. They wanted to get trained. It was actually the only night off from soccer training that Bobby and Lynsey have had in months.

I didn’t tell Bobby to hit a 105-lb PR on the rack pull. He loaded the bar himself. I didn’t tell Lynsey to squat the Texas power bar to a parallel box for 32 reps. Believe it or not, I didn’t even tell Bob and Hannah to set up as side spotters for Lynsey’s squat. I never taught them that. They just did it.

The only thing I really teach them is practice, hard work, and all out effort. I think I read somewhere that those things can be found “under the bar.”

Bobby and Lynsey play soccer and Hannah is into cheer. Bobby wants to try football this season too. As a coach I love the fact that my 52-lb boy packs the gear to go up against kids that cap at 90 lbs. As a father, it scares the crap out of me. But he insists. Twice this year we’ve had to make Lynsey get off of the soccer field. She would have stayed until collapse. We’re certainly not obsessed hard driving sports parents, and I think that is part of why this works. We learn in failure and we celebrate effort. I tell the kids all the time that I’m not worried about them being the best on the field. I just expect them to be the hardest working. I tell them all the time that they are allowed to make mistakes so long as they do it at full speed. To them, everything is about learning and practice and always about PRs. It carries over to their school work. Got a “B” in math? Figure out why, get help, and hit a PR on the next test.

I have no idea what the years will bring them in sports. Their older brother, Dillon, is already working his way through award winning success in two high school sports. He won the linebacker MVP award for the freshman team at only 135 lbs and just recently got the JV baseball MVP award. Couple that with a 4.2 GPA and it is safe to say that he’s setting the bar high.

The oldest, Brittany, was co-captain of the varsity cheer squad and graduates this year with honors. I don’t think I could ask for better role models for the younger kids. Sports are the one thing they all share, and it is there that I believe they are all learning very important lessons. They are learning to challenge themselves, to pay attention and learn, and to never be satisfied with mediocrity. I personally could care less if they become elite powerlifters or even powerlifters at all. I just want them to strive to be elite in whatever it is they do. Being strong or Strong(er)™ isn’t just about the gym…

Bob Jodoin is an ISSA master trainer, New York Strength master trainer, NBFE fellow, and former director of strength and conditioning at Total Performance Sports. He is now a strength and conditioning coach as well as a personal trainer in sunny Orlando, Florida. He trains the top young athletes in Winter Springs, Florida and is the strength and conditioning advisor to M-PACT Sports www.m-pactsports.com . Bob can be contacted at bobjnys@aol.com.